Obama calls for economic compromise

Saturday, August 13, 2011 - 01:35

Aug. 13 - U.S. President Obama calls for partisan compromise to benefit the U.S. economy. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

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In his weekly address U.S. President Barack Obama is urging lawmakers to embrace compromise saying that bitter fights between Democrats and Republicans are hurting the economy.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. President Barack Obama, saying: (English)
"Lately, the response from Washington has been partisanship and gridlock that's only undermined public confidence and hindered our efforts to grow the economy," So while there's nothing wrong with our country, there is something wrong with our politics, and that's what we've got to fix."
Obama said the side show in Washington had gotten in the way of efforts to bring down high unemployment.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. President Barack Obama, saying: (English)
"We can no longer let partisan brinksmanship get in our way -- the idea that making it through the next election is more important than making things right,"
Still reeling from a divisive debate over debt and deficits that triggered a downgrade in the U.S. credit rating from Standard and Poor's , Obama is going on a three-day bus tour next week to connect with voters as his own 2012 re-election campaign begins to heat up.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters